The invention relates to a method for controlling functional devices in a vehicle by a device which can be operated via voice commands.
In a motor vehicle, a so-called infotainment system can process different types of data depending on functionality. For example, the infotainment system comprises an audio device for the acoustical reproduction of audio data, whether these are data from a data medium or those of a radio program which are transmitted wirelessly; the infotainment system also comprises a navigation device which outputs map data via a display device and places them in relation to a current position, possibly also a target position, of the vehicle; the infotainment system can also comprise a hands-free talking device which enables the vehicle device to be coupled to a mobile radio telephone.
The device, with the aid of which such devices of the vehicle can be controlled, can comprise operating elements such as, for instance, keys, the operation by voice input, that is to say voice commands, being predominant in the present case: there is thus a microphone and a device for analyzing the data recorded by the microphone in the sense of voice recognition.
For the purpose of voice recognition, a relatively large amount of effort must be made relating to the hardware to be made available, especially also the memory, apart from the processor, and a particular computing time must be made available for a particular processor. So that the effort is not allowed to grow excessively, the remedy has hitherto been to provide voice operation only to a limited extent, namely by defining a number of voice commands which provide for operation. In this manner, the range of functions of the (voice control) system must be specified precisely at the time of delivery of the vehicle. It is equally not possible to flexibly specify a new functionality on a mobile radio telephone even if the functionalities are provided via the latter.
It would be nice to be able to define new functionalities at a later time. This has previously been possible to a restricted extent by utilizing web browsers (for example by utilizing the HTML and WAP formats). Using such web browsers, however, only makes it possible to implement a voice output but not a voice input for providing novel ways of control (new events in the case of the provision of new functions).
US 2004/0193420 A1 describes a method for processing voice commands in a motor vehicle. In this method, corresponding files are exchanged in which a method of control for a functional device is stored. The files can be received by a device different from the vehicle. The functional device can thus be controlled via the voice command.
Furthermore, US 2002/0069063 A1 describes a home network having digital interfaces. Devices can be coupled to the digital interfaces and controlled via voice commands.
In addition, a control system for aircraft which can be controlled via voice inputs is known from US 2007/0288242 A1. The control system can comprise a host processor which is coupled to a database for storing and receiving voice commands.
DE 199 42 869 A1 describes a method for operating a voice-controlled device in motor vehicles, in which method the voice commands are assigned to a device function in the motor vehicle via a speech pattern comparison. In this context, data or functions arriving via telematics services can also be transcribed ad hoc into voice-command-controllable speech patterns.
From US 2008/0103779 A1, a method for receiving voice commands is known by which vehicle functions can be controlled.
Finally, US 2009/0055178 A1 describes a method for acquiring voice commands in a motor vehicle. In this method, in addition to the voice command, a position is also determined from which the voice command emanates.